BisonMav
01-13-2005, 12:56 PM
Nice story in the Forum about the Driscolls, 3 of which played basketball for NDSU. I remember Mike from the early 1980's when he played with Brady Lipp and Jeff Askew. Now the next generation is making it's name.
Ball in the family
By Terry Vandrovec,The Forum
Published Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Driscolls have their own basketball camps, for crying out loud, not to mention a hardwood family tree that sprouts college scholarships.
Even the in-laws, like hall of fame coaches Dennis Anderson and Robin Abraham, contribute to the lore. Everybody, it seems, has been somebody since Chuck Driscoll's four sons -- Pat, Tom, Mike and Jim -- parlayed prolific prep days at Moorhead High into successful careers at area universities.
But nobody has made their name known as quickly as the new generation.
This winter, one year after cousin Jake Driscoll completed his freshman season by leading Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton to third place at the Minnesota Class 2A state tournament, Jordan Driscoll became the first Moorhead freshman to start a game in the 23-year career of coach Chuck Gulsvig.
"It surprised me that they would be where they're at at this time," said Anderson, who is Jake Driscoll's grandfather, a former player and coach at Minnesota State Moorhead and the organizer of the family basketball camps. "I knew they were going to be very good, but that early, that was a surprise."
How could they not throw a cross-over dribble at very good while driving toward legendary?
Even before his daughter married into the family, Anderson, a member of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, considered the Driscoll clan "the best basketball family in Minnesota."
Pat Driscoll set a national prep record for steals in a game with 17 before becoming a North Central Conference champion tennis player and all-NCC basketball pick at North Dakota State in 1971.
Tom Driscoll played basketball for the Bison from 1970-73 and won three NCC tennis titles.
Mike Driscoll, Jake's dad, set the Moorhead High career scoring mark -- it stood until 1994 -- with 929 points. He was at NDSU from 1977-81, totaling 1,166 points and still ranks third in school history for assists (513) and fourth in steals (177).
Jimmy Driscoll, Jordan's dad, scored 692 points for the Spuds and began his college career at the University of North Dakota only to move to MSUM, where he amassed 234 assists -- fifth in school history -- from 1983-85.
Sister, Sarah, also played basketball for the Spuds, while the sixth sibling, Kathy, attended Moorhead High before the inception of the girls program. But she was arguably the family H-O-R-S-E champion, Mike Driscoll said, and eventually married Abraham, an MSUM Hall of Fame football coach. Their daughter, Amber, scored 933 points for the Spuds and currently plays for NCAA Division I Arkansas State.
Simply put, "That's a lot of basketball," Jake Driscoll said. Even on off nights, like Monday, when Jordan, Jim and Robin Abraham all traveled to Pelican Rapids, Minn., to cheer on D-G-F.
And it shows.
Last season, Jake Driscoll inherited point-guard duties from older brother Luke Driscoll, becoming only the fourth freshman starter in the 36-year career of Rebels coach Bob Torgrimson. He went on to score 467 points, the most of any D-G-F player in a decade, and led the school to its first section title. He's averaging more than 15 points per game again in his sophomore campaign and is awing fans with range that makes light of the standard 3-point line and dribbling patterns that are -- almost -- as unique as snowflakes.
"I don't know if there's anybody in the whole area that can handle the ball like he does," Anderson said. "I said to his dad two years ago, 'He plays just like you, Mike.' And he said, 'He's better than me.'"
Jordan Driscoll, meanwhile, has a close relationship with Jake, but is a dead ringer for his dad, with the same slight chin cleft and a shot so pure it seems to melt the net. He's averaging seven points per game -- now in a reserve role -- with a season high of 23 in an overtime loss to cousin Jake and the No. 5-ranked Rebels.
"He's got a lot of basketball savvy," Gulsvig said of the 6-foot Jordan Driscoll. "Probably in an era when basketball savvy is hard to come by."
Not in this family.
"They taught me everything," Jake Driscoll said. "My dad was my coach since the beginning and he still coaches me after every game. He tells me what I need to do to get better."
Ball in the family
By Terry Vandrovec,The Forum
Published Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Driscolls have their own basketball camps, for crying out loud, not to mention a hardwood family tree that sprouts college scholarships.
Even the in-laws, like hall of fame coaches Dennis Anderson and Robin Abraham, contribute to the lore. Everybody, it seems, has been somebody since Chuck Driscoll's four sons -- Pat, Tom, Mike and Jim -- parlayed prolific prep days at Moorhead High into successful careers at area universities.
But nobody has made their name known as quickly as the new generation.
This winter, one year after cousin Jake Driscoll completed his freshman season by leading Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton to third place at the Minnesota Class 2A state tournament, Jordan Driscoll became the first Moorhead freshman to start a game in the 23-year career of coach Chuck Gulsvig.
"It surprised me that they would be where they're at at this time," said Anderson, who is Jake Driscoll's grandfather, a former player and coach at Minnesota State Moorhead and the organizer of the family basketball camps. "I knew they were going to be very good, but that early, that was a surprise."
How could they not throw a cross-over dribble at very good while driving toward legendary?
Even before his daughter married into the family, Anderson, a member of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, considered the Driscoll clan "the best basketball family in Minnesota."
Pat Driscoll set a national prep record for steals in a game with 17 before becoming a North Central Conference champion tennis player and all-NCC basketball pick at North Dakota State in 1971.
Tom Driscoll played basketball for the Bison from 1970-73 and won three NCC tennis titles.
Mike Driscoll, Jake's dad, set the Moorhead High career scoring mark -- it stood until 1994 -- with 929 points. He was at NDSU from 1977-81, totaling 1,166 points and still ranks third in school history for assists (513) and fourth in steals (177).
Jimmy Driscoll, Jordan's dad, scored 692 points for the Spuds and began his college career at the University of North Dakota only to move to MSUM, where he amassed 234 assists -- fifth in school history -- from 1983-85.
Sister, Sarah, also played basketball for the Spuds, while the sixth sibling, Kathy, attended Moorhead High before the inception of the girls program. But she was arguably the family H-O-R-S-E champion, Mike Driscoll said, and eventually married Abraham, an MSUM Hall of Fame football coach. Their daughter, Amber, scored 933 points for the Spuds and currently plays for NCAA Division I Arkansas State.
Simply put, "That's a lot of basketball," Jake Driscoll said. Even on off nights, like Monday, when Jordan, Jim and Robin Abraham all traveled to Pelican Rapids, Minn., to cheer on D-G-F.
And it shows.
Last season, Jake Driscoll inherited point-guard duties from older brother Luke Driscoll, becoming only the fourth freshman starter in the 36-year career of Rebels coach Bob Torgrimson. He went on to score 467 points, the most of any D-G-F player in a decade, and led the school to its first section title. He's averaging more than 15 points per game again in his sophomore campaign and is awing fans with range that makes light of the standard 3-point line and dribbling patterns that are -- almost -- as unique as snowflakes.
"I don't know if there's anybody in the whole area that can handle the ball like he does," Anderson said. "I said to his dad two years ago, 'He plays just like you, Mike.' And he said, 'He's better than me.'"
Jordan Driscoll, meanwhile, has a close relationship with Jake, but is a dead ringer for his dad, with the same slight chin cleft and a shot so pure it seems to melt the net. He's averaging seven points per game -- now in a reserve role -- with a season high of 23 in an overtime loss to cousin Jake and the No. 5-ranked Rebels.
"He's got a lot of basketball savvy," Gulsvig said of the 6-foot Jordan Driscoll. "Probably in an era when basketball savvy is hard to come by."
Not in this family.
"They taught me everything," Jake Driscoll said. "My dad was my coach since the beginning and he still coaches me after every game. He tells me what I need to do to get better."